Why, it’s a bloody massive transfer gossip

Matt Stead

HEY, MICKI
It might be the Sunday in the middle of an international break which makes it notoriously difficult for the football media to sell newspapers or garner clicks, but there is a heck of a lot of morning transfer gossip two months before the next window opens. Which is handy.

We start at Old Trafford, and with the fate of Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Armenian has started just one Premier League game for Manchester United since joining in a £26.3million deal in the summer. He has struggled, most certainly.

Swooping in to ‘rescue’ him could be his former club, Borussia Dortmund, however. According to Steve Bates of the Sunday People, the Bundesliga side are ‘shocked’ that the winger has failed to make an impact in England, and are willing to take him on loan for the rest of the season.

Considering Mourinho explained the 27-year-old’s recent absence by claiming that he is still adapting to the English game, it seems doubtful he will farm him out on loan at the first opportunity. But sure.

 

SHAW THING
What a day it is to be Steve Bates of the Sunday People. Not only does he have one scoop from Old Trafford; not only does he have two. No, he updates us on three current Manchester United players.

While Mkhitaryan is headed back to Dortmund, Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw face uncertain futures under Jose Mourinho. Both were publicly criticised recently by the manager – even if it did turn out that Smalling has a broken toe, having been implored to play through the pain by the Portuguese.

The row, says Bates, has ‘rekindled’ Arsenal’s long-standing interest in the centre-half. The Gunners were keen to sign Smalling from Fulham back in 2010, but United pipped them to the post.

But what of Shaw? Jurgen Klopp ‘would be interested’ in the former Southampton defender if he became available, with the German still seeking a long-term left-back.

After making such a grand claim, Bates covers his back with the following:

‘But deals between Liverpool and Manchester United have been almost non-existent and if Klopp did push the boat out for Shaw, there is little chance of them selling to their Anfield rivals.’

Excellent work.

 

ATLETI-GO
So, three are heading out of Manchester United. The Daily Mirror have news as to who will occupy the lockers of Messrs Mkhitaryan, Smalling and Shaw.

John Richardson claims that United will source their January transfers from just one club: Atletico Madrid. The links with forward Antoine Griezmann and central defender Jose Gimenez are oft-repeated; the former will reportedly cost £80m.

But that is not enough for Mourinho. Yannick Ferreira Carrasco is the final piece of the puzzle. Because the Portuguese just loves wingers, doesn’t he? Richardson even includes the obligatory line, presumably straight from the manager’s mouth:

‘Mourinho knows that major surgery is still needed if United under him are to become regular and realistic title contenders.’

 

TAH VERY MUCH
One more line on a ruddy busy transfer day comes from Anfield. Liverpool want another centre-half.

The Daily Mirror are reporting this one, and he claims that despite the club’s strong start to the season, there are still reservations over their defence. Jurgen Klopp has undoubtedly overseen an improvement, but that is not enough.

Tom Hopkinson claims that Bayer Leverkusen centre-half Jonathan Tah is a target. a) He plays in the Bundesliga, b) he is 20, and c) he is tall and bloody fast. He sounds like a Klopp signing.

 

AND THE REST
Manchester United want to sign Galatasaray winger Bruma, according to a report on Sunday…Arsenal’s £130,000-a-week forward Alexis Sanchez, 27, has reached a stalemate with the Gunners over a new deal. Manchester City and Juventus are monitoring the situation…Jose Mourinho is looking to offload England skipper Wayne Rooney as he remains unconvinced that he has got a long-term future at Old Trafford…Arsenal are poised for crunch talks with Mesut Ozil that will determine if he is going to sign a new contract…James Rodriguez is wanted by Chelsea and Manchester United after Zinedine Zidane reportedly made the Real Madrid star available for transfer…Arsenal look set to miss out on Ricardo Rodriguez as the Wolfsburg left-back’s agent is in Italy to hold transfer talks with Inter Milan and Napoli.